Years of Culture
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2024/08/27
Completely unique in its specific focus on Arab art, Mathaf was founded in 2010, as part of Qatar Museums, under the leadership of Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.
The permanent collection at Mathaf Arab Museum of Modern Art contains over 9,000 unique pieces, jointly owned by Qatar Museums and Qatar Foundation. Each artwork has been carefully selected to represent the best of the art world, created by artists from Qatar and the wider international Arab diaspora.
“Mathaf provides a vital platform for local and regional talent to showcase their work and connect with audiences.” - Zeina Arida, Director of Mathaf
Located within Qatar Foundation’s Education City campus in Al Rayyan, Doha, the Mathaf museum is situated in a former school building that was fully refurbished by architect Jean-François Bodin.
The word Mathaf (متحف in Arabic) means museum - incorporating the Arabic language into the gallery name for an international audience.
The Mathaf permanent collection showcases curated artworks beautifully displayed throughout seven galleries, located in the top floors of the museum building. The collection began with a generous donation of artworks from His Excellency Sheikh Hassan bin Mohammed bin Ali Al Thani to the public, gathered over several years.
A reflection of Arab societies and cultures from around the world, the Mathaf contemporary masterpieces on display range from culturally significant paintings and sculptures to state-of-the-art audiovisual works.
Covering 11 key stops around the museum, the Highlights of Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art audio guide tour is a wonderful way to get to know the collection at your own pace, currently available in Arabic, English and Spanish.
A selection of pieces from the permanent collection can now also be viewed virtually online, through the Google Cultural Institute, enabling a broader global audience to enjoy Mathaf Arab Museum Of Modern Art from beyond Doha for the first time.
The Museum of Modern Art atrium and five additional gallery rooms are dedicated to ambitious exhibitions, welcoming often specially commissioned works by some of the Arab peninsula's most prominent artists.
Recent cutting-edge exhibitions at Mathaf have included Taysir Batniji: No Condition is Permanent and Almaha Almaadeed: Inspired by the Land. Majaz: Contemporary Art Qatar celebrated emerging local and regional artists through the acclaimed Fire Station: Artist in Residence programme. During the Qatar-MENASA 2022 Year of Culture, Sophia Al-Maria: Invisible Labors Daydream Therapy was the Qatari American artist’s first large-scale exhibition in the Middle East. See more upcoming events and exhibitions at Mathaf on the museum website.
The Museum of Modern Art in Doha welcomes families with events and programmes specially geared towards young visitors. Mathaf museum is the perfect place for children of all ages to learn about art from Arabic cultures and a good starting point is the family friendly guided tour.
Designed to introduce kids to modern art, the tour culminates in a drawing workshop, where children can recreate the artworks they have learned about. The museum also hosts story time for kindergarten and primary school aged children, to start conversations about modern art through storytelling and reading.
The museum also caters for school groups, providing interactive guided visits that cover a wide variety of subjects and art-related themes, tailored for different ages. Mathaf also offers art lessons for young people, exploring different artistic techniques and theories.
Iraqi artist and curator Ismail Azzam will be teaching art classes for adults at Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art every Sunday and Monday, from 4 to 7pm. Aimed at participants with basic to intermediate artistic skills, the workshops will give lessons in different portraiture techniques in pencil, charcoal and paint.
The workshops are free to attend, although advance registration is required online. Participants are asked to bring their own sketchbooks to class.
A groundbreaking educational project by Mathaf, the Encyclopedia of Modern Art and the Arab World was first launched online in 2013.
An important free resource that has become invaluable for researchers and academics, the encyclopaedia is a bilingual platform documenting biographies of Arab artists, often in the form of interviews and essays.
Created by the Research and Curatorial team at Mathaf, the project offers in-depth information about the contemporary Arab art world, to encourage and facilitate the sharing of knowledge on the subject.
The opening hours at Mathaf Qatar are 9am to 7pm from Saturday to Thursday and 1.30pm to 7pm on Fridays.
One of the few Qatar Museums institutions offering free entry for non residents as well as for those who live in Qatar, entry to Mathaf museum is free of charge for all. Book your tickets to Mathaf now!
The museum has a helpful guide for visitors which includes the Mathaf dress code, photography policy, practical tips and other recommendations for planning your visit.
Mathaf is easily accessible by public transport and car via the Education City gates.
The nearest metro stop is Education City station on the green line, which is around 15 minutes walk from Mathaf. Additionally, Education City offers an excellent complimentary tram service that runs regularly across the campus.
Explore the National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ), the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) and Gallery Al Riwaq with Years of Culture.
See more upcoming events happening at Mathaf Museum, including The Art and Influence of Jean-Léon Gérôme exhibition.
